To Chill A Mocking Bird
by Zarius
Summary: "From bad comics to…bad comics. Weird how that works" (spoilers for "Under Pressure")


**THUNDERBIRDS ARE GO!**

 **TO CHILL A MOCKING BIRD**

 **WRITTEN BY ZARIUS**

 **Disclaimer:** Thunderbirds Are Go! Is trademarked by ITV Studios

* * *

Scott Tracy had been off training Alan and Kayo for most of the day, but in the time away he had heard via the news feeds of the near disastrous toxic waste spillage in the ocean averted by two of his brothers. He came back as soon as the mission was completed.

He was about to enter the lounge area when he was met outside by Virgil, who escorted him towards where the pool, normally Thunderbird 1's exit port, was situated.

"Care to explain what we're doing out here? The wind picking up on here is cooler than what greets us when we dive into that concoction" Scott said, pointing to the crystal and clear chlorine in the pool.

"Our resident jokester is having a little talk with Lady Penelope" Virgil explained.

Scott folded his arms, "I sure hope it's not a captive audience"

"It may be from his perspective. Penny's furious at him" said Virgil in response.

"What did he do?" said Scott, suspecting Virgil knew.

"Hobnobbing. Oh the _nerve_ of you" came a venomous yet simultaneously harmonious voice from the lounge. Virgil and Scott were taken aback. They peered through the windows to find Gordon still talking to the holographic image of Lady Penelope.

Gordon often fancied himself a man of mirth, but all too often no one saw the funny side.

He struggled to pinpoint what the exact problem was.

Was it his timing?

Or was it this foolhardy and carefree belief that he could say just about anything to Penelope and she'd let him off on it?

Whatever the problem is, the solution was clear to him.

He had to apologize.

That is, _if_ he could get a word in.

Penelope placed both hands firmly on her hips and raised an eyebrow while her lip remained contorted.

"Well?" she said, "Has all that time spent underwater drowned out your manners?"

"That…wasn't very funny" Gordon replied.

"My sense of humour isn't what's on trial here" said Penny in a huff

"No, no, I didn't mean your sense of humour, I was talking about mine" said Gordon.

"He never admits his jokes are bad. At least to my face" Virgil whispered to Scott in shock.

Gordon noticed the pair of them peering outside the window. Annoyed, he got up and walked over to a console. One swift button push later, the blinders came down, isolating him and Penelope from prying eyes.

Gordon looked at the hologram of the angsty aristocrat. Breathed deeply, and shrugged his shoulders.

"Nice to show how much you care Mr. Tracey" snapped Penelope.

"Oh I care Lady P; care is what got us out of that predicament with the toxic spill, just as your care and attention to the smaller details is what allowed us to learn about The Hood's plot. Without you being on top of things, we'd have been swept under a different sort of tide."

"Complimenting me isn't going to make you any more a gentleman" said Penelope, "We did our jobs. This is a personal matter"

"And I meant nothing personal by my joke Penny, sometimes I like to make light out of a situation before it gets too dark. I may not be perfect at it, but it's easier to break the ice than let us turn cold by it"

Penelope gave a beady-eyed look to her right, staring into the distance, closing her eyes briefly, then opening them again and turned back to Gordon.

"Perhaps I was just a little too North then" she said.

"Hey, I'd love to warm you up with a nice meal sometime. Got any dinner plans?" said Gordon, "I was thinking pork and beans"

"I tend to dine with Kings and Queens" said Penelope, taking the opportunity to slip out of her shoes.

"Hey, did I tell you about how Kayo once called me a dead ringer for Aquaman?" replied Gordon.

Penelope chose to curl up comfortably close to where Gordon was standing, placing her hands on her legs and resting her chin on the back end of them. Her eyes as memorizing as that of a cat staring curiously into the reflection of a diamond

"Do tell" she said, "I've never heard of him"

"Really? Not a comics whiz then? Ok, Alan's usually the best qualified for this, and he did tell me a few things, so I should warn you, the story of the King of the Seven Seas might not necessarily take seven minutes"

"It's a different sort of tide, I'm content to crash through as many waves as it can muster" Penelope replied.

Outside, Virgil and Scott pressed their ears close to the blinded window, and came away with a perplexed look on each of their faces.

"From bad comics to…bad comics. Weird how that works" Virgil uttered.

"Look on the bright side, it'll be a while now before she chills _this_ mocking bird" replied Scott.


End file.
